Chapter
One

Anything
Goes as It Goes Before

The cherry blossoms had only started to turn bright pink in the now-tranquil
district of Nerima, Japan. Carried by a calm, invisible breeze, the delicate
flower petals danced into the small town and released their lightly honey
perfume into the air. Since the death of Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo and
the resolution between their two families, the district finally entered a
state of peace and quiet. The memories of clashing of bonboris, bandanas,
spatulas, poisoned roses, magical potions and other such chaotic objects vanished
quickly with the breeze, carried away with the cherry blossom wind.

Akane
Tendo-Saotome opened the dojo doors to welcome the pungent wind and the bright
sunlight that it brought. She turned around to the class of young girls she
was teaching self-defense to. “Okay ladies,” Akane said. “That should be all
for today. I will see you all next week.” She bowed to her students and they
returned her bow.

“You’re getting much stronger, Katori,” Akane smiled sweetly to one
of her student.

“Hai, Akane-san,” the young ten-year-old girl grinned. She flexed her
small biceps happily. Katori’s mother had asked Akane to train her ever since
a stuck-up male classmate almost beat up the fragile girl.

“Uu-chan!” Katori called to the stranger. Akane’s head suddenly perked
up.

Akane could even barely recognize Ukyou Kuonji. It was only a year
ago that these two women fought for the love of Akane’s husband. Ukyou looked
completely different from the long-haired Japanese okonomiyaki chef of the
past. Her lengthy brown hair was tied up in a bun while two or three wild
strands lightly covered her face. She also wasn’t wearing the tight-fitting
slender green karate gi that she normally did. Instead, Ukyou was wearing
a loose and puffy green jacket and blue jeans. There were still features that
a change in dress and hair could not take away. Ukyou’s deep brown eyes, perked
nose and smooth rouge lips remained even as the young girl transformed into
a young woman.

“Oh!” Akane exclaimed. “Konnichiwa, Uu-chan!” She bowed politely, almost
feeling her head touch the ground.

“I have some tea ready,” Akane said nervously as Ukyou sat down on
the mat. Akane took out two small, worn-out blue cups. She walked into the
dojo’s small and dingy kitchen and grabbed a whistling brown kettle. She quickly
poured the searing hot liquid into a porcelain blue pot. She walked back into
the dining hall where Ukyou was now extremely comfortable.

“Of course,” Ukyou smiled.

“How’s Tokyo?” Akane sat down. She tried to sit down but the karate
gi was too tight around her body.

“Tokyo is amazing,” Ukyou smiled heartily. “The city is beautiful.
It never sleeps. Even when the sun sets, the neon lights keep beckoning life.
There is just so much freedom.” Ukyou’s eyes lit up just thinking about the
city.

“Not much after you left,” Akane said. “Kasumi and Dr. Tofu shacked
together. Kuno convinced Nabiki to take a break and go with him to Hawaii.
Nabiki’s also expecting a baby in a couple of months. We got letters from
Shampoo at the American university but she just stopped sending them. Mousse
and Akari are together. She also had a fetish for ducks too. We recently buried
Happosai. May that perverted bastard rest in peace.” Akane smiled. “How are
you?”

“Business is doing great,” Ukyou said quietly. “Okonomiyaki is in so
much demand in Tokyo. I’ve opened ten Uuchans and am going to Osaka in a month
to open another one.

"So
are you too busy to actually pursue someone?" Akane's fingers shook as
she held the teapot again.

“Way too busy,” Ukyou said. “But I have visited these great Women Weekends
in Tokyo.” Akane tried to pretend she was deaf. “Tokyo is definitely an excellent
place to find women. Lots of cute girls, like you, Akane-chan.”

Akane poured the burning liquid into Ukyou’s cup and accidentally onto
her fingers. The kettle dropped with a sudden clash, cracking open and spilling
the hot liquid all over the dusty wooden floor.

“I’m sorry,” Akane mumbled. She took a nearby rag and started cleaning
up. “For everything.”

Akane
swept the cracked pieces of the teapot into a garbage can and looked away
from Ukyou. “Yes,” she replied coldly. “They were meant to happen this way.”

Ukyou
helped Akane pick up the pieces. In the midst of cracked blue porcelein, her
soft hands met Akane's own hands. Akane looked up shockingly. Ukyou looked
down a little bit more. Akane's husband Ranma entered the dining room. Ranma
himself also grew up. His body was still lean but he was now taller and much
more buffer. He wore a white tanktop in which his pectorals suffocated for
air. His hair was still tied in a neat ponytail that fell softly down his
back. “Konnichiwa,” Ranma bowed solemnly. Akane ran toward Ranma and gave
him a swift peck on the cheek. Ukyou gave stared back at Akane who now looked
completely lost.

“Ukyou was just leaving,” Akane stammered. Ukyou nodded softly.

“It was good to see you again, Ukyou,” Akane said cordially.

Ukyou picked up her green backpack. She shook hands with Ranma, her
tight grip. “Pleasure seeing ya again, Ranma-darling,” she kissed Ranma on
the other cheek. She faced Akane. “I will be at Uuchan’s for a couple of days,”
Ukyou said. “Just like it was before.”

Ukyou walked away. Her ponytail bounced lightly in the wind. She
opened the door, let in a couple of cherry blossoms and quietly shut the door.
For a second, Akane stared at the delicate pink petals on the floor.

“I will go get dinner ready,” Akane mumbled. Ranma nodded.

Ranma sat at the computer. It was about time that the dojo got digital.
Since his hoardes of fiancés no longer lingered to damage property, the dojo
was finally profiting from its classes. Therefore, Ranma bought the cheapest
yet most effective computer there was and had it shipped from Osaka. I
got mail! Woo hoo! And it was from his sister:

To:
saotome@tendodojo.co.jp

From:
rsaotome@sfgate.org

Subject:
Update

Dear
brother,

Konnichiwa, Ranma-san. My dear brother, It has been far too long since
we last saw you. It is so difficult to think that we are an ocean apart..except
with the help of technology and high-speed internet. I am extremely happy
that you finally installed DSL at the dojo. Cheapskate baka-kun.

How
is Akane-chan doing? Tell her that I miss her terribly. Even her horrible
cooking and those random flying objects to the skull. I hope that she is being
a good wife.

At that moment, Ranma heard much loud cussing from the kitchen and
the sound of dinner falling on the floor. He really missed Kasumi’s cooking.
Tonight’s dinner would be instant ramen, the one thing that Akane actually
knew how to cook. Ranma read on.

As
for my own marital affairs, Bret and I are setting a wedding date. We are
thinking next year. Please save a week to spend time in San Francisco in time
for the wedding. We both really want a June wedding because that is when the
city is least gloomy. Other than that, work is good. I enjoy working at The
San Francisco Chronicle and may be looking forward to a promotion soon.

Brother,
the weirdest thing has happened to me. I was eating lunch with my best friend
Ryan Hitomi (the cute gay japanese guy I have been telling you so much about)
and I had the faintest feeling I recognized one of his friends.You were concerned about how Ryoga had mysteriously disappeared from
Tokyo. Could it be possible that Ryoga is in San Francisco? I'll further investigate
this mystery. So far, Ryan's not telling me anything except that this guy
is indeed from Japan and he has had a very hard life. It does sound quite
familiar doesn't it?

Do
keep in touch. And give Uu-chan all my love.

The name Ryoga gave Ranma shivers down his spine. He suddenly felt
a cold wind pierce the room, even though the window wasn't open. Ranma turned
towards Akane who was now pouring hot water into ramen bowls. Then he turned
back to the computer. And all he could see were the small black boxes that
made up the word "Ryoga."

Later
that evening, Ranma and Akane had sex in the small bedroom that was once Akane’s
alone. It had become more routine than pleasure. The house was completely
empty except for the creaking of the old bed, the only echo of their lovemaking.
Ranma was never interested in Akane’s body but he knew that she needed him
more than ever, especially after everything that happened in their lives.

Well, that’s what Ranma thought anyways. Akane rolled over to sleep.
Ranma put his arms behind his head. Could it be? Ranko’s voice echoed
in his mind. Is it possible that Ryoga is indeed in San Francisco? Akane
started to softly snore beside him. Ranma’s mind quietly drifted off to the
sea, wanting to fly over an entire ocean.

NOTES

Bear
with me. I must continue to remind people that this is a Ranma ½ fanfic and
I bet all the RRYaoi people are excited that I’m finally reaching Ranma’s
story. It has taken a while to develop the other characters.

Ukyou
Kuonji was one of Ranma’s fiancés from the anime Ranma ½.
Ranma’s father Genma had promised Ranma as Ukyou’s husband to Ukyou’s dad,
an okonomiyaki maker, in exchange for some food. Ukyou entered the scene dressed
up as a guy in disguise.

Age
is a major issue that I have. Takehashi doesn’t mention how old all the characters
are. When we first meet Ranma and Akane, they are both 16. In this story,
all the characters are 18. In Japan, it is no surprise that Ranma and Akane
are married at this age. I have made Shampoo older than all the other
original characters. She is twenty-one. This will be very important in the
story. Ryan is 28 and Ryoga is 18,